Code Geass R3 Return of the King
by pen trumps sword
Summary: Based on the theory that Lelouch went into stasis for a long time.
1. Prologue

Author's note- Due to an insane amount of errors- both grammatical, and intellectual in other Code Geass fanfictions I have decided to try my hand at creating a semi-believable story. I have decided to start with a recap of the ending to clear misconceptions in other author's works. If anyone spots any errors grammatical or otherwise- please do not hesitate to confront me about them. Please note that I do NOT own Code Geass or its characters.

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><p>2018 ATB- two months after the Damocles Rebellion<p>

-Tokyo Settlement in Area 11

As a convoy is parading down the street, an announcer is saying,

"The undisputed ninety-ninth emperor of the Holy Empire of Britannia, founder of the Black Knights, and the second Supreme Council Chairman of the United Federation of Nations His majesty, Lelouch vi Britannia has appeared. Behold, to his sides the foolish people who rebelled against Emperor Lelouch are being transported to their execution grounds. In the rebellion, we suffered the noble losses of Pendragon, and of many soldiers- including the knight of Zero, Lord Kururugi Suzaku. With the E.U.'s ratification of the U.F.N. charter, our emperor, Lelouch has finally completed his glorious goal of unifying the world. Glory to Emperor Lelouch! All Hail Britannia! All Hail Lelouch!"

This prompts reserved indignation and a general sense of angst amongst the crowd.

Everyone is convinced Lelouch is a tyrant- including his family, friends, and ex-comrades.

Lelouch's ex-comrades- the Black Knights as well as Cornelia are hiding in a building near where Lelouch's convoy is passing by. When Viletta sees Ohgi passing by on his way to his execution, she attempts to rescue him- only to be almost immediately deterred by Cornelia. "Going out now is exactly what he wants us to do."

In this exact moment the crowd gasps and the convoy stops to get a look at the lone figure that just appeared.

Who should appear, but the man already sitting in front of them- Zero.

"No way! Lelouch is right there!"

Zero charges. The Sutherlands open fire on him. They miss. Jeremiah yells "I'll take him on" as he jumps down from on top of his vehicle and dashes at the masked vigilante wielding his sword.

Zero leaps into the air and uses Jeremiah as a springboard to reach the royal float, dashing past Nunnaly without so much as a second glance. He reaches Lelouch's throne and slashes his sword with seemingly inhumane speed- disarming Lelouch.

Then, without any warning, Zero stabs the demon emperor in the heart. Zero held him for a few moments with the sword impaled in his heart, while they exchanged a few words during which it appeared that the demon emperor made a feeble attempt to unmask Zero.

The masked man immediately threw him off the platform. The body flipped and slid down the ramp towards Nunnally. Nunnally hesitantly touched her much disdained brother, and was shocked.

She appeared to glance off into nowhere for a second. After that brief hesitation she gripped his hand and cried "Brother I love you". This from the same person who had just two months prior called him a demon.

Lelouch the demon emperor's last words were "Yes… I… destroy… worlds… create… worlds…" Immediately, Nunnally grieved for him. Demon though he was, in her purity she still cared for him.

As this was happening, Cornelia made a grand entrance nearby and boldly proclaimed "Lelouch the demon has died, free the hostages" The Black Knights followed her with the bystanders in tow and they chased the royal guards away- swarming them with their sheer numbers.

They systematically free the prisoners while Jeremiah orders a retreat. "This is bad, we must retreat from here." Nunnaly is still beside herself with grief while the crowd chants Zero's name. "Zero, Zero, Zero, Zero!"

* * *

><p>6 hours after Lelouch vi Britannia's assassination<p>

-Britannian Embassy

"Lord Zero, everyone is celebrating the death of the demon emperor. You have killed the most vile man to have ever walked the earth. Can I have your comments on this historic day?" asked a reporter

"I did only what had to be done for the sake of a peaceful world" replied Zero

"Lord Zero, what will happen to Britannia now that their leader is dead?" asked another

Zero replied "Britannia is no longer a monarchy- The deceased emperor made it part of the U.F.N. - though it will probably lose a portion of its votes."

"What of Nunnally? She and her siblings have a claim to power. "

"I will personally vouch for her. She cares nothing for war. I would even go as far as to say she would be a great choice for the U.F.N.'s council chairman."

"Zero?"

"Zero?"

"Zero? "

"This concludes our interview. The next press conference is scheduled for tomorrow at 10-o-clock JST."

* * *

><p>12 hours after Lelouch vi Brittania's assassination<p>

-Somewhere over the Pacific Ocean

Zero is on his way to Britannia with the coffin of Lelouch. He fears for what would happen to it if he left it out in the open.

"Well Lelouch, the Zero Requiem was a success. All the hatred and evil in the world was focused on you. With your death the cycle of hatred was broken. Now the world can focus on a brighter future. A future in which war is obsolete. The future you always wanted."

Zero pauses for a few minutes and listens to the engines of the float ship…

He hears a sound. He looks around to determine where it came from._ Who's there? I hope no one heard my monologue. _"Who's there?" He hears it again. Although almost inaudible it sounds almost like a low moan mixed with a scream of pain.

He freezes.

He tries to ascertain the location of the haunting noise.

It is coming from the coffin.

* * *

><p>Seconds after Lelouch's death<p>

-Tokyo Settlement in Area 11

"I… destroy...worlds… create… worlds" My life flashed before my eyes. From innocent beginnings to an abhorred end… my life.

Darkness

Total and complete black

_Is this my punishment? Is this atonement?_

Light

A small speck in the all encompassing darkness

Hope

I chased my hope.

The Geass sigil

Pain

I tried to let out a scream

An almost inaudible moan came out

I tried to move

Pain

I tried to scream

Nothing

* * *

><p>12 ½ hours after Lelouch vi Britannia's assassination attempt<p>

-Aboard the float ship Avalon

Zero opened the coffin. _Could it be? Dare I hope? What do I do?_

He opened the lid to discover

"Lelouch?"

"Ugghhh" came a reponse

Zero did a double take

"Suzaku?" came a barely audible reply

"Lelouch, you're alive!" exclaimed an incredulous Suzaku

"But how?" croaked a befuddled Lelouch- his mind raging with ideas on what could have gone wrong

"I don't know" exploded Suzaku "Unless…"

"I got my father's code" finished a hoarse Lelouch

"What now?" asked Suzaku "This could ruin everything!"

"You're right. But, before we discuss that, could you get me a drink?"

Suzaku summons a servant over the intercom to bring him a jug of ice water and a glass.

The servant soon arrives and hands him the jug of water, glass, and some pizza.

The two conspirators continue their conversation.

As I see it there are three viable choices, first- return as emperor."

"No!" exclaimed Suzaku "that would defeat the purpose of this whole deception."

"Exactly, that's why choice two is to live out my days in some godforsaken part of the world- constantly in fear of being discovered." stated Lelouch.

"That's too risky, and I wouldn't wish a life of exile on anyone" said Suzaku "What's the third option?"

"Use the stasis pod I reverse engineered for V.V. and put myself in stasis." he replied solemnly

"What!" exclaimed Suzaku

"Don't you see, it's the only way."

"But"

"Don't worry, it's perfectly safe and even if it wasn't, I'd still be alright"

"What about Nunnally?"

"I trust your judgment."

"Don't you want to see…"

"I don't think I could bear it"

Are you sure this is a good idea?

"No, but what other choice do we have?"

Zero radioed the captain "This is Zero, could we make a stop in the Chinese Federation?"

"Yes Sir!"

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><p>15 hours after the Zero Requiem<p>

-Underground Geass Research Facility near the stasis pods

"Do you have any regrets?"

"Innumerable, not the least of them seeing the peaceful world I have created and seeing Nunnally one last time"  
>Suzaku and Lelouch reach the capsule- two men who by rights should be dead. Lelouch climbs into the stasis chamber and sits down.<p>

"Lelouch, I left the Shinkiro 2 floors down- just in case"

"I honestly don't think that was necessary Suzaku"

"Consider it insurance"

"Fine" he conceded

"Goodbye, Lelouch"

"Goodbye Suzaku, please protect the peace... and my sister ."

With a hiss and a release of vapor the stasis pod activates and Lelouch falls into oblivion…

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><p>End of Chapter 1<p>

What did you think? Did you like it? Please rate and review!


	2. Light

Choice two is the winner, enjoy this 800 word chapter. I went slower this time as requested.

Be sure and comment!

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><p>Date-?<p>

Location-?

As he slept, he dreamed. As he dreamed he thought. As he thought he pondered.

**Rebellion…**

My actions should prevent it.

**Requiem…**

A peaceful world has no need.

**Peace…**

A world I made but never saw.

**Hope…**

What we wished for.

**Hero…**

There is no hero without a villain.

**Zero…**

A symbol of the future- the hero.

**Myself…**

A symbol of a bygone age- the villain.

**The World…**

A stage for the greatest act in history- a masquerade.

**Light and Darkness…**

Black and White…

**Light…**

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><p>Date- ?<p>

-Old ruins

"For countless ages, darkness has reigned supreme. An oppressive force. Never yielding- everpresent. Light was a lie. The truth was hidden in the dark. The truth was a lie. Lies were the truth. What is real when lies become the truth?"

– Author unknown - estimated to be written around the year 0 New Common Era

.

.

.

"Professor, I think I've found something!" said a voice- shattering the oppressive silence

Light pierces the darkness revealing a panel.…

.

.

.

"Light reveals…

Dark conceals…

The light prevails…

While dark ails… - Author Unknown"

.

.

.

"Professor, could you put that book down?"

"Professor? Professor Balthazar?"

"What is it, Shirley?" asks the professor while adjusting his glasses

"Could you put that philosophy book down? I think I've found something."

"This is quite an intriguing piece of literature, not just yet."

" I don't understand how you find that interesting."

"People like you have no appreciation for complexities of the human mind"

"Excuse me?"

"Oh nothing"

"If you say so… oh before I forget, I think I found the lights."

"Do you honestly think they would still work after who knows how long?"

"Stop being such a pessimist. You need GUTS."

"Oh?"

"You'll never get anything done if you don't try!"

"I still can't believe you dragged me onto this excavation, Shirley"

"The headmaster threatened to cut off funding from this 'useless pursuit'. What was I supposed to do?"

"Ancient civilizations are a hobby of mine. Not my career. Still, this ruin is supposedly from early days of the Era of Peace – maybe even as far back as the late Britannian Age."

"Err - what was the Brittanian Era again?"

We already covered this in class, Shirley, "It was an era of war, persecution, and unrest- It ended with Lelouch Vi Brittania's execution by the hero Zero."

"How can you be a hero for killing someone? Killing someone is wrong – no matter how you look at it."

" What of the Red Rebellion against the U.F.N 100 years ago? The U.F.N. wouldn't let the colonies join its main body so they forced it to accept them. It made the universe a better place. It also led to the formation of the U.S.F. Thousands died, but the world was all the better for it."

"But…"  
>"Nothing, now let's try these lights - shall we?"<p>

Balthazar looks at the console.

"Well, well, well what do you know, it's an ancient flat screen with an old keyboard. This must be quite ancient – but we already knew that."

He looks at the console and prods it in various spots.

"Hmmm ho HA – I think I got it!" he yelled ecstatically

Suddenly, the lights turned on and the two archeologists were blinded by the unexpected glare.

"Gaaa" and "It burns" they cried simultaneously

"Must be a generator somewhere." He mused

"Gaaa?" asked Shirley "I don't think that's a word."

"Shut it, Shirley… Did you hear that?"

"Oh stop it. It's not funny to tease girls"

"No seriously, I thought I heard a hissing noise like the release of gas."

"Now that you mention it…"

"Let's check it out"

"Wait! Shouldn't we be running away from whatever it is?" she panted trying to keep up "It could be poison gas or something disgusting."

"A scientist has to take risks." He replied

"But, I'm not a…"

"Close enough, now let's hurry – it's probably something exciting"

Within a minute of the lights turning on, they came across a spacious room at least 50 times their height in the middle of which was a large sphere that was releasing a vapor of some kind and opening slowly with a creak.

Balthazar put out his arm to shield his student from whatever was inside.

A moment later, the vapor dissipated and they both collectively gasped.

Inside was a body - for it could be nothing else

It had a blood stains on it's jewel encrusted robe

They blinked a few times futilely hoping the image would go away and that it was just a figment of their imagination. They turned to each other.

"Do you…"

"Yes"

By some unspoken agreement they visibly paled.

As shocking as this was, no one could have expected what came next.

They screamed.

.

.

.

The body had risen.

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><p>So chapter two is a wrap, thank you for your input. If anyone is interesting in being a beta reader – I welcome you to the team.<p>

Also, if anyone has any suggestions – comment. I will definitely take all comments into consideration.


	3. Dark

The next chapter is important, so it won't be out for a while (two weeks at most). If I have erred, be sure and point it out. No comments about the shorter and shorter chapters- I intend to remedy that soon. Enjoy the chapter!

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><p>Light<p>

A distant memory

A fleeting moment

Bright

The story

A life spent

A blight

Black or white

Which is right?

– Excerpt from Philosophy book

Written around the year 1 B.C.E.

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><p>Date- ?<p>

-Old ruins

They screamed

.

.

.

The body had risen

* * *

><p>Meanwhile<p>

-Underground lab

He awoke as if everything were a dream. He tried to stand, but he felt groggy- _a hangover?_ Suddenly, the serenity was shattered by a piercing scream. His head started to clear…

Something clicked inside his brain and everything came back to him. His mother's death, his sister, his exile, his mask, his rebellion, Euphiemia, his lie, his plan, Shirley, his revenge, his betrayal, his tyranny, Suzaku, and finally- his requiem- a play of epic proportions that would be remembered for centuries. His mind raced with questions, the_ requiem- did it work? What happened? What year is it? What should I do? What can I do? _Then-_ Where is that dreadful scream coming from?_

He squinted at the bright light and shielded his eyes. He saw two figures- they were the source of the perpetual noise. He shook his head in an attempt to clear it. His vision cleared somewhat- just in time to see one- _a teenager? _point something at him.

_A gun?_

He stumbled forward in a feeble attempt to get out of the way…

He felt excruciating pain, and the ground rushed up to meet him

"Nunnally" he moaned

The world went black…

* * *

><p>Date-?<p>

Old ruins

.

.

.

"I knew I shouldn't have given you that stun gun! Why'd you have to go and taze him?"

"He was going right for me!" she said breathing heavily

"Do you know what you've done? We could get sued! We're not even supposed to be here!" he exclaimed

"Don't you care about me? A ghost was walking right for me! I panicked ok?" she could practically feel her blood pressure rising

"No, not 'ok'! In the first place, there is no such thing as ghosts- whoever put that notion in your brain was an imbecile" he snapped

"Then you're an idiot- you yourself said 'Let's dig up the ghosts of the past' when you came here."

"That was a figure of speech." He countered

"Oh really? If that's the case, then why did you try to shield me with your arm?

"Because I thought… ghaa- you're a headache- you know that?" he snapped

"Sorry, I'm just a bit on edge" she said in a softer voice

"Perhaps I was a bit harsh as well." He confessed

She raised her eyebrow

"What?" he asked

"Did the great all-knowing Professor Balthazar actually apologize?" she said with a hint of incredulity

"That's not the point!" he exploded

"You're just dodging the question."

"No, I was just…"

The body stirred

"Now look at what you did- your yelling woke him up"

"Mine? You were the one who…" he said red faced

The body gave a barely audible groan.

"What should we do?" she asked

His mind raced with questions and few answers- W_here did he come from? Who is he? What's he doing here? What's he going to do? What's that device he came from? Some sort of stasis pod? That can't be right- this ruin is almost 500 years old. But then what is it? Nothing else fits. If that were the case then I shouldn't ask him where he's from- but __when__?_

After pausing a few moments to deliberate his choices he responded.

"We simply wait for him to wake up." He said

She paled. "What?" she shrieked- her voice resonating across the chamber

He covers his ears until the echo dies down.

"Let me explain…"

"What if he holds a grudge? What if he tries to hurt me? What if he holds malicious intentions towards us? What if…"

"Just shut" he yelled "your mouth and listen" he continued in a softer voice

She stopped talking.

"I suspect that he is a rich entrepreneur from sometime in the era of peace."

"But that's impossible- stasis pods weren't invented until just over a century ago and even then they weren't put into widespread use for years after that. That makes what you suggest impossible unless..."

"They had stasis pods back then!" He exclaimed "Our names could go down in history. This discovery will change the world as we know it."

He never could have fathomed just how right he was…

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><p>End of chapter two- I hope you enjoyed it. The next chapter will be a general history of the world- suggestions are welcome. I will need two volunteers to beta read it when it's done- I'll PM you the chapter. Also, the next chapter won't be for a while as I have to smooth out the story so far a bit.<p> 


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